The Real Eve (DVD): a Granada production for the Discovery Channel
Mitochondrial DNA is passed from mother to children, both male and female, unchanged and it mutates at a predictable rate; i. e., the more the genetic mutations in the DNA, the more ancient the origin of the population. Using these facts, some scientists are studying mitochondrial DNA to try to trace back the origins of the human race. Using this method, the scientists have traced the human race to one female in Africa several million years ago. Then they traced the migration patterns of her descendants as they spread across the earth.
The Real Eve is a fascinating documentary presenting a new and controversial theory of human evolution. It does what all good documentaries do, it makes you think, and it entertains at the same time. I enjoyed it very much and anyone interested in human evolution would probably enjoy it also.
Time Life's Lost Civilizations (DVD): by Time-Life Video and Television
Never before could you get this close to 7,000 years of history. Digital effects technology and dramatizations re-create rituals and events, from the bloodletting of Maya kings and a pharaoh's last journey to the secret pleasures of a Roman empress. Original location cinematography in 25 countries takes you from Cuzco in Peru to Petra in Jordan, from ancient Mesopotamia to modern Tibet. Computer graphics restore Egypt's pyramids and the Great Wall of China.
Building Design Strategy: Using Design to Achieve Key Business Objectives (BOOK): edited by Thomas Lockwood & Thomas Walton
How can design be used to solve business problems?
That’s the question answered by Building Design Strategy. Mark Dziersk, EunSool Kwon, Arnold Levin, Laura Weiss, and many more top-name contributors share their experience and insights exploring topics on a full range of modern issues including; thinking ahead, adapting to challenges, developing tangible strategies, using design to convey ideas, choosing worthwhile projects to help growth, and using design to create fiercely loyal customers.
Professor Mazzotta introduces students to the general scheme and scope of the Divine Comedy and to the life of its author. Various genres to which the poem belongs (romance, epic, vision) are indicated, and special attention is given to its place within the encyclopedic tradition. The poem is then situated historically through an overview of Dante's early poetic and political careers and the circumstances that led to his exile. Professor Mazzotta concludes by discussing the central role Dante's exile was to play in his poetic project.
Simon Barton provides a highly readable and up-to-date analysis of the historical development of Spain from its origins to modern times. Today, as Spain has become firmly integrated into the political and economic structures of the European Union, the long-held notion that the country's 'historical destiny' has been somehow out of step with those of its neighbours no longer seems valid. Barton probes the extent to which Spain should be regarded as an exceptional case and provides a clear and balanced account of its strikingly rich and diverse history.
Aristocracy and Its Enemies in the Age of Revolution (BOOK): by William Doyle
Since time immemorial Europe had been dominated by nobles and nobilities. In the eighteenth century their power seemed better entrenched than ever. But in 1790 the French revolutionaries made a determined attempt to abolish nobility entirely. "Aristocracy" became the term for everything they were against, and the nobility of France, so recently the most dazzling and sophisticated elite in the European world, found itself persecuted in ways that horrified counterparts in other countries.
Bulmer Hobson and the Nationalist Movement in Twentieth-Century Ireland (BOOK): by Marnie Hay
Bulmer Hobson (1883-1969) abandoned the pacifism of his Ulster Quaker roots to become a key leader in the Irish nationalist movement in the period leading up to the 1916 Easter Rising. Sidelined at a critical time and maligned by some republican colleagues, Hobson has not been the subject of a published study until now. This book outlines and assesses Hobson’s nationalist career in the period 1900-16, exploring his contributions to the Gaelic League, the Gaelic Athletic Association, the Sinn Féin movement, Na Fianna Éireann and the Irish Volunteers. It also examines his lesser-known activities as a publisher, civil servant and economic propagandist in the years after the Rising.
Franks, Northmen, and Slavs: Identities and State Formation in Early Medieval Europe (BOOK): edited by Ildar H. Garipzanov, Patrick J. Geary & Przemyslaw
In recent decades, historians attempting to understand the transition from the world of late antiquity with its unitary imperial system to the medieval Europe of separate kingdoms have become increasingly concerned with the role of early medieval gentes, or peoples, in the end of the former and the constitution of the latter. Eleven specialists examine here the role of ethnic identity in the formation of medieval polities on the periphery of the Frankish world in the eighth through eleventh centuries.
Somewhere in the Sand: In Search of Timbuktu (BOOK): by Chris Berggren
Chris and his fellow adventurers embark on a wild, four-month journey as they travel the world. Together, they climb Mount Sinai, ride donkeys through the Valley of Kings and party every step of the way. The young men become addicted to adventure, and it isn't long before they are plotting their next trip - this time to Timbuktu, a place of seemingly mythical proportions in the West African country of Mali. Before long, their group gets larger in number, and soon, a small army of nine is making plans to head to Africa. They don't know what to expect, but then again, they don't care. Once in Africa, they will need to navigate the desert, deal with corrupt officials and stomach extreme images of hardship and poverty. Along the way, they find quite a bit of adventure but also quite a bit of trouble. Through it all, this group of adventure junkies finds out that the perfect place to quench their thirst for excitement is Somewhere in the Sand.
The Amaroc News: The Daily Newspaper of the American Forces in Germany, 1919-1923 (BOOK): by Alfred E. Cornebise
The peacetime doughboy had little desire to be part of an occupying force in Germany. Nobody did. Not the French, not the Belgians, not the British. The Germans decidedly did not want them there. Yet American soldiers at least had the Amaroc News, a highly colorful newspaper that gave them a blend of the concerns of most young American men—women, sports, jobs, travel, education. But it gave them more: soldiers who read Amaroc came away with an expanded sense of the world’s events and of America’s changing position in the international picture.
The British Monarchy and Ireland: 1800 to the Present (BOOK): by James Loughlin
A broad-ranging political and social history of the relationship of the British monarchy with Ireland from 1800 to the present. James Loughlin demonstrates how this relationship was shaped by the personalities of individual monarchs and by government policies in Ireland, especially during the nineteenth century when the state sought to quell Irish demands for independence.
The Russian Civil War, 1918-22 (BOOK): by David Bullock
The Russian Civil War was the most important event of its kind in the 20th century. It changed the lives of over half a billion people and dramatically shaped the political, human and economic geography of Europe, the Far East and Central Asia. Over a tempestuous four-year period the Communist Red Army and the loosely formed, anti-Bolshevist White Army battled in a war that would totally transform the vast Eurasian heartland and lead to Communist revolutions worldwide as well as the Cold War. David Bullock offers a fresh perspective on this conflict, examining the forces of both sides, the intervention of non-Russian forces, including American, Canadian, British, and Japanese troops, and the involvement of female soldiers and partisans.
The military story of massed infantry and cavalry actions, mechanized warfare with tanks, armored cars and trains, and air combat, all along rapidly shifting fronts, is told against the incredible backdrop of political and social revolution. It is an account that is interwoven with tragedy - 30 million people died during the Civil War - and the author skillfully places the battles in the context of human suffering as he explores the cruel sacrifice of a huge population on the altar of political power.
The absorbing text includes dramatic first-hand accounts, and is vividly illustrated with carefully selected previously unpublished photographs. This new insight into history's most significant civil war, which
began 90 years ago, will be welcomed by all students of history seeking a compact account of the conflict that brought into being a new superpower - the USSR - and its threatening ideology.
Ceramics of Shimaoka Tatsuzo: Living National Treasure of Japan,A Retrospective 2000 (BOOK): by Martha Longenecker & Rob Sidner
Shimaoka began making pottery in 1939 as a student at the Tokyo Institute of Technology's Department of Ceramics. During Shimaoka's freshman year, he visited Hamada in Mashiko and was granted apprenticeship upon graduation. Shimaoka joined Hamada's workshop from 1946-49. Four years later, he built his own, independent kiln adjacent to his teacher's in Mashiko.
Gilded Vessel: The Lustrous Art and Life of Beatrice Wood (BOOK): by Garth Clark
Beatrice Wood turned to ceramics late in life at age 40, but still managed to work behind a potter's wheel for nearly 65 years. Influenced by the Dada movement, her lusterware pottery, with its rich and decadent palette of shimmering gold and silver, vindian greens, incandescent pinks, and intense purples, has captivated generations of collectors. Gilded Vessel is not so much a biography as a celebration of the life and ceramic artistry of Beatrice Wood. Glorious color pictures reveal the iridescent beauty of her pottery, while black-and-white photographs document the life, loves and luster, of a woman New York Times Magazine hailed as one of the great lives of the 20th century.
Image and Audience: Rethinking Prehistoric Art (BOOK): by Richard Bradley
There have been many accounts of prehistoric 'art', but nearly all of them begin by assuming that the concept is a useful one. In this extensively illustrated study, Richard Bradley asks why ancient objects were created and when and how they were used. He considers how the first definitions of prehistoric artworks were made, and the ways in which they might be related to practices in the visual arts today Extended case studies of two immensely popular and much-visited sites illustrate his argument: one considers the megalithic tombs of Western Europe, whilst the other investigates the decorated metalwork and rock carvings of Bronze Age Scandinavia.
Loud Bones: The Jewelry of Nancy Worden (BOOK): by Michelle LeBaron & Susan Noyes Platt
Nancy Worden's work explores the cultural dynamics that shape contemporary social and political agendas, emphasizing the female experience in the United States. Her jewelry is forceful, unapologetic, demanding, and gripping; often humorous, sometimes painful, but never timid. This is the first scholarly examination of her career.
The Art of Peter Voulkos (BOOK): by Rose Slivka & Karen Tsujimoto
This volume examines the work of Peter Voulkos, an influential figure in American ceramics.
The Way Jews Lived: Five Hundred Years of Printed Words and Images (BOOK): by Constance Harris
The author presents through pictures and text a social history of Jewish life and art in the last 500 years. Each chapter relates the brief history of a period, devoting particular attention to events concerning Jewish life.
Avoiding Archaeological Disasters: A Risk Management Approach (BOOK): by Darby C. Stapp and Julia G. Longenecker with contributions by Roderick Sprague
You think it can’t happen to you, but it can. One day, months into your construction project, your front end load operator runs into bones and wooden slats. Your county coroner says it is not a crime scene, and refers you to the local archaeology department. The archaeologist tells you that it is a very important discovery. Work stops. Archaeological discoveries happen all the time in the course of projects. Most are manageable, some are less so, and some are mismanaged, wasting time and money. If you are not prepared, the consequences can be disastrous. This book is for project engineers, project managers, construction managers, the staff of affected government agencies, and archaeological consultants. In its pages you receive enough information, enough archaeological perspective, to intelligently work with the various parties involved in your project and avoid an archaeological disaster.
Reburying the Past: The Effects of Repatriation and Reburial on Scientific Inquiry (BOOK): by Elizabeth Weiss
In this book, the author puts forth what one can learn from the study of human remains, how human remains have been obtained, the ethical dilemmas surrounding working with human remains, and the legal and political complexities of repatriation and reburial. The author intends to introduce readers to a fascinating realm of science rarely covered in the media, as opposed to the more popular fields of anthropology (e.g. forensics, archaeology, paleoanthropology).
Voices Carry: Behind Bars and Backstage During China's Revolution and Reform (BOOK): by Ying Ruocheng and Claire Conceison
"A gem, not to be missed by any student of Chinese culture or politics. . . . The passages on prison are among the most detailed and vivid we have in the literature. And throughout the volume there is a refreshing bluntness. . . . Voices Carry has been a major project for Conceison, a labor of love, persistence, and understanding. She has gone to great lengths to offer context in endnotes for readers who may need them. It is hard to think of any US-PRC literary collaboration more complex and valuable than this one, or to think of a personal cultural bridge between the PRC and the West as active and influential as Ying . . . it is quite clear Ying had his faults, but I found the book totally engaging." --Modern Chinese Literature and Culture
"A must-read for anyone interested in the performing arts. Furthermore, [celebrated Chinese actor Ying Ruocheng's] life touched on fascinating aspects of Chinese history and society seldom discussed. What happened to the Manchus after the 1911 revolution? What was it like being a Catholic in those years? How did (and perhaps does) the government collect information on foreigners? How does it treat its political prisoners? How are personnel decisions made? This book is one man's attempt to make sense of cataclysmic events." --China Review International
Recently promoted to 00 status, James Bond takes over his first mission in which he faces a mysterious private banker to world terrorism and poker player, Le Chiffre. Along with a beautiful Treasury agent and the MI6 man in Montenegro, Bond takes part in a high stakes poker game set up by Le Chiffre in order to recover a huge sum of his clients' money he lost in a failed plot that the British spy took down. 007 will not only discover the threatening organization behind his enemy, but the worst of all truths: to not trust on anyone.
The Green Mile (DVD): Tom Hanks, The story about the lives of guards on death row leading up to the execution of black man accused of child murder & rape who has the power of faith healing. [1999]
Generation M: Misogyny in Media and Culture (DVD): Despite the achievements of the women's movement over the past four decades, misogyny remains a persistent force in American culture. In this important documentary, Thomas Keith, professor of philosophy at California State University-Long Beach, looks specifically at misogyny and sexism in mainstream American media, exploring how negative definitions of femininity and hateful attitudes toward women get constructed and perpetuated at the very heart of our popular culture.
Hero (DVD): Jet Li, A fearless warrior rises up to defy an empire and unite a nation. With supernatural skill, and no fear, the soldier embarks on a mission of revenge against the fearsome army that has massacred his people. To achieve the justice he seeks, he must take on the empire's most ruthless assassins and reach the enemy he has sworn to defeat. The story of the First Emperor of China, who is on the brink of winning a war-torn land during the dawn of the Qin dynasty over 2,000 years ago. Three opponents are determined to kill the King, but the warrior stands in their way. [2002]
Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People (DVD): This groundbreaking documentary dissects a slanderous aspect of cinematic history that has run virtually unchallenged form the earliest days of silent film to today's biggest Hollywood blockbusters. Featuring acclaimed author Dr. Jack Shaheen, the film explores a long line of degrading images of Arabs--from Bedouin bandits and submissive maidens to sinister sheikhs and gun-wielding "terrorists"--along the way offering devastating insights into the origin of these stereotypic images, their development at key points in US history, and why they matter so much today.
The Real Eve (DVD): a Granada production for the Discovery Channel
Time Life's Lost Civilizations (DVD): by Time-Life Video and Television
